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Thursday, October 15, 2015

If you've been following my blog for a while, you might remember that my Mom passed away over seven years ago in 2008. Since then my Dad has continued to live in Naples, Florida...a place that has grown very dear to us since my parents moved there almost twenty years ago.

That phase of our life is closing as all of the friends that my father had in Naples have either died or moved away. Rather than live alone, it's time for him to move back home to Baltimore to be with his family and friends here. So Jim and I just returned from a trip to Florida where we began the process of helping Dad to get his house ready to sell.

Though we did a lot of work while we were there, we found time to have a little fun. Well, for me...a LOT of fun.

That's because we had read about a flea market early last Saturday morning and decided to wake up to get there when it first opened. When the alarm clock sounded, Jim moaned and started to beg off the whole venture. Not me. I was determined to go. "Well, I'm going", I said, and I threw back the covers and leapt out of bed. He groaned again but followed me out...what a love. My Dad was up and came too.

Poor blokes. They didn't find much except for newspapers and coffee.

But me? Well, I never made it past the first stall.

It happened to be run by Silvia, a seventy year old woman whose 1988 four-door sedan had one dusty box of buttons after another.

Honestly, I couldn't believe my luck. SOOO many beautiful buttons...

And all for 50 cents to one dollar apiece she said.

Sorry I have no picture of the stall...it was too early and I didn't even think to bring a camera. If I had known the treasure hoard I was going to encounter, I would have saved my pennies and arrived before dawn with an entire news crew!

Next to Silvia's tables, I was lucky to find these two little brass mirrored boxes for five bucks so I had something to hold my choices.

They cleaned up beautifully when I got home. And so did the buttons. I loved washing them in a bowl of soapy water and brushing them with Jack's old baby tooth brush.

There were so many buttons at Silvia's stall that I had no choice but to focus my efforts. I didn't have a ton of money or time, so I went for my one of my current loves...smokey gray carved mother of pearl...

*sigh*

They were all so lovely that I was inspired to photograph them by families. I just couldn't resist. I should have been embroidering the last six goldwork honeysuckle leaves on my Japanese embroidery sake ladle but the buttons were far more seductive.

This group of celluloid and metal against a vintage piece of beaded net just makes me swoon...

And these steels, metals and glass stand up better when paired with an old embroidered shoe fragment...

Buffed celluloid is a plastic button popular in the 1930s. I only own a couple so when I saw them all together in a big wooden box, I couldn't resist purchasing enough of them to make an instant collection...

When Silvia saw the caliber of gems that I had pulled from her hoard, the price per button jumped up a bit. That was OK with me. It was still a phenomenal deal. She says that she had a great day because of me...sometimes she only sells a button here or a button there. As if on cue, an older gentleman walked up and bought one button to put on his pants. I told Silvia she should be selling them online but she says she's too old to start all that now. She didn't even know what Etsy was. Sorry folks, I tried.

Today I am back to the Japanese embroidery frame. I'll update my progress there next time.
Thanks to all of you for stopping by and commenting on my Winter Wonderbird last post. It was the perfect welcome party. It feels good to be home.

37 comments:

My goodness what a find! I would have had to "mortgage the farm" if I had been there. I can't even imagine how hard it would be to choose. And Gerry will love getting more buttons to paint. I haven't seen a Halloween one though - I'll have to go take another look :)

What an amazing find, I was wondering if you could share the location of this flea market and what days it is open, I will be there in Jan.I also want to say you are an amazing artist and I just love your CQ squares. loved the little Chickadees.

OMG I am sooooo jealous!!! These are so very beautiful, I had to go to a bigger monitor so I could see them better! I sure hope we can get together some time soon so I can fondle them a bit. I love the boxes you found also to put them in.. Buttons and boxes, pretty close to heaven. Thanks for sharing this adventure. I hope the whole moving process isn't too difficult, I am sure the emotional side will be difficult enough. Hope to see you soon.Maureen in Maryland

WOW! WEEEEE! How exciting to find such a treasure - So excited for you! You certainly have an eye for beauty as they are all so gorgeous! I am so happy to hear that you brought your father home as I know you mentioned before it was going to be a hard time for him to move. Now he is where he belongs, with family.

I bet you were pleased you rose early to go to the flea-market.What a brilliant find. Most of the button styles I've never seen and they are all fabulous. I imagine your chat with the owner would have been interesting too.

All the very best for your dad's move back to family and friends. So good for you to have him nearby.

so many wonderful buttons here gives a new meaning to the word buttons, I have never seen the like of most of these before they are wonderful and I can already picture what Gerry will do with the pearl ones.

How lovely to have Dad moving home too be near you, I am sure you will have such fun together as you are such a fun loving family

Hi SuzHow'd I miss that bird post!! I knew you were busy with life stuff or you would be blogging more so I didn't send that email asking if you are OK. It's good to have your dad living closer to you. Years ago I hated it that my in laws moved 2 blocks from us, but now it's a blessing and I cherish the visits from my FIL driving over to see us in his tricked out golf cart. great score on the buttons. Our flea markets are so picked over it's sad. Where have all the great venders gone. Oh, to Florida!!Have a great day and weekend. Hope to see you around more!Much loveCarol

A gold mine in buttons for sure Susan.Sounds like Gerry is so happy to get some.they will be beautiful when she finished working on them.

My Dad had Alzheimers and my Mom was always calling me in NH and crying on the phone.It took me 3 years to convince her to sell her house and move from Florida and in with me.It was a blessing to have my parents with me for the last years of their lives. I missed thembeing so far away, and my Dad's care was getting to be too much for my Mom to handle.I could only take one trip to Florida while they lived there. Now I feel good that they werewith me till the end. It was hard but worth it.Happy that you will be able to have time with your Dad.God Bless you all.Sondra

There is something so magical and enchanting about buttons. Silvia has quite the treasure trove and how fortunate that you found her and her amazing buttons. The selections you have made is admrable. Creative Button Bliss...

I have boxes of buttons but I would have been right with you shopping for more. What a gorgeous collection you picked. You are a good person to have also picked those plain pearl buttons for someone else.

Button porn, indeed! I swooned right along with you. Some of those celluloid buttons make me think of my grandmother in Arkansas. I don't know if she had those buttons, but I think of her housedresses when I see them. I was born in 1946, so my memories of her are mostly from the '50s. I may swing over to that etsy store that you so generously shared the link for....lol. You enabler, you. Please show us any things you make with them. Some of the buttons remind me of my Aunt Eunice's costume jewelry. She was my dad's sister (still Arkansas)and they were "upper crust" old-school I guess you would say. They lived here in San Diego (my hometown), where he was a Realtor in one of the tonier parts of town. This also in the '50s. Such a great collection of costume jewelry. They didn't have children, and I was their "darling", but, alas, I didn't get the jewelry.....sigh. Jim is a love. Your men are special.